In this day and age, identity theft protection steps are crucial to know. Identity theft is a fairly recent epidemic and occurs to those who are completely unaware of it more often than those who actively try to prevent it. Fortunately, with the rising occurrence of this crime comes increased awareness. Identity theft protection information is now easy to find online, and for good reason, as identity theft could possibly compromise your company should it happen to you.

There are many resources for identity theft protection help. Consider the following:

1. Check your credit report often online.

2. Shop only through secure Internet sites.

3. Contact an identity theft protection supplier for information on prevention and steps you can take should it occur.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Be aware of your credit score to afford yourself a measure of identity protection

Be sure to check your credit score as often as possible so that you can immediately report any unknown charges to the proper authorities. Doing so may not prevent the initial identity theft, but it may stop any further damage to your credit. There are many sites online that offer a free or inexpensive credit report, and many credit cards also include this feature for a small monthly fee.

I recommend: Find sites that offer your credit report and score for free or at a low cost. AnnualCreditReport.com is a government site that allows U.S. citizens to see their credit report once per year for free. Freecreditreport.com requires users to sign up for a membership to see their credit score, but users will not be billed if they cancel within a week of signing up.

Use only secure websites to help with identity protection

When you shop online, remember to only use secure sites. Look for a small closed padlock at the bottom of the screen, as well as an 's' after the 'http://' in the checkout address. Such sites use encryption technology that scrambles any information you send to the merchant's computer to prevent hackers from grabbing sensitive information, like your credit card number or address, while it is transferred. The merchant can then unscramble the code due to its access privileges.

I recommend: When shopping for office supplies online, for example, buy from secure websites only. Office Depot is a good example of a secure site, as it has a golden lock at the top of the homepage. Discounted Office Supply displays an "s" after "http://" on the checkout page, which is a good indicator of a secure site as well.

Visit an identity theft protection site to get help

Check out identity theft protection providers, which are professional companies that can teach you ways to be safe on the Internet and perform damage control should your identity get stolen. An identity theft protection directory will often point you in the direction toward talented identity theft protection agencies. Depending on which identity theft protection website you visit, you will notice that many companies do anything from giving general advice online and selling books on the subject to providing credit monitoring and computer virus scanning.

I recommend: Identity Guard charges a monthly fee and provides daily credit scanning, Internet activity monitor, an identity theft recovery unit if you do become a victim, and more. TrustedID provides free yearly credit reports, helps decrease the amount of junk mail you receive, and constantly scans for your private information online.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Invest in a paper shredder for added identity protection. This will enable you to easily shred important documents so no one can find out private information about you or your company.